To not let neighbours put skip on my grass?

[Sexnotgender]

Neighbours who are lovely, are having their roof replaced and want to put a skip on our grass for 2 weeks!

I’ve said yes to them putting the scaffolding on our property as long as any damage is rectified but I feel a skip in my front garden for 2 weeks is a little bit much!

Am I being a bad neighbour?

Campsites have grass covered for a few weeks. It goes yellow then grows back. Wouldn't this be the same as that?

IME skip companies often CBA to collect full skips until they run out of empty ones - it could be there for weeks

Yes, you can put the skip on our driveway (the bit that is curved in between the house and the grass), not on the grass. It can arrive between X and Y (date and time) and must be gone by Z date. Does that sound ok to you?

That's what I'd say.

If they agree to replace the grass (not just rake it a bit) and to making sure every bit of builders rubbish is removed (by them if not the builder), and make sure the builders ONLY put a skip there (and not trample all over the rest of your drive/garden), then say yes. But don't agree to let their builder get some crap turf that fell off a lorry, and just throw it down. Turf has to be laid properly. Find someone and get a quote. It isn't a huge area of grass, so shouldn't be too expensive.

But I suspect they have no idea how much damage a skip will do to your grass, so it could be an awkward conversation.

And it won't be '2 weeks'. It never is.

It won't ruin your lawn OP, grass is incredibly good and growing back healthy again.

road

Yes, you can put the skip on our driveway (the bit that is curved in between the house and the grass), not on the grass. It can arrive between X and Y (date and time) and must be gone by Z date. Does that sound ok to you?

No, that would literally be in front of my front door.

I suggested to DH we offer the bit down the side of the house in front of the garage as we don’t really use that other than for visitors parking.

I'm also puzzled as to why they can't just get a permit to put it on the road? Are they not aware they can do this?

If you feel like you can't say no to them ruining your grass(!) then go with the suggestion from a poster above and say your home insurance company won't allow it.

I wouldn't want to do this. I'd tell them with the cost of returfing/levelling garden/occupiers liability insurance then it would be cheaper for them just to get a road permit.

No idea if any of those things are necessary but hopefully it would put them off.

Nope. Sorry. On the road or not at all I would say.

It wouldn’t damage the lawn. Grass is hardy and it would come back.

The answer is say yes if you don’t mind or no if you would prefer not. You are not obligated and saying no doesn’t make you a bad neighbour.

If you give them the driveway then they’ll probably walk across the grass to get to it, thus ruining your grass...

Is there no way they can fit it on their own drive? Skips are the same size as a car, usually smaller depending on the size of skip.

NO. Just no way. It will ruin your lawn. I'd worry about people dumping shit/flytipping beside it. It will invalidate your insurance. NOPE.

The drive is the opposite side to their house so more inconvenient for the workers but won’t trash my garden.

Which means you’ll have their roofers traipsing by your house every time they go to the skip. Probably walking across your grass every time.

All to save them the cost of getting a permit to have it on the road?

That’s properly cheeky

Do not put it on your grass regardless of beams you will still have to have a lorry on your property to drop off / pick up and there will be damage.

You checked with your insurance company and they advised against it.

When we had our roof done the skip had to go on the road - terraced houses, tiny front gardens. First skip was ok, got filled & taken away, but second skip had to be left 3 or 4 doors down - not even in a space that corresponded with cars parking so that was tight for a while - & ended up being there for weeks, because skip bloke was a bit of a cowboy or had fallen out with roofer or something

None of the neighbours actually complained, but it was there right across Christmas (you won't have that problem I hope ) & I put cards through all the doors explaining & apologising.

If you have the skip in your drive they'd tramp across your grass to it which is probably worse.

If there aren't any parking restrictions I'd ask them to put it in the street.

No parking restrictions no.

Driveway sounds a sensible compromise - assuming it won't mean the builders constantly walking over your lawn to access it? Or wouldn't that matter?

They should be putting it on the road at the front of their house. They want it on your garden because they're too tight to pay for a permit and it'll be much longer than two weeks. Doesn't matter how friendly you are, don't do it.

They should put it on the street if there are no parking restrictions - also easier to move full skips from there rather than have the lorries come onto your drive. You're being neighbourly enough already OP!

When my roof got replaced the builders had a big enclosed chute going from the scaffolding to the skip which was out on the street. My house is maybe about 30 feet from the pavement and it was no problem for them.

It's not up to you to find a solution, Op.

They've suggested your front grass, you don't want to so tell them no & leave them to find the answer!

Skips on private land will be collected when convenient to the skip firm but those parked on the road will be collected ASAP as they need to have a permit obviously permits can be extended but a permit has to be in place for a skip on a public road. If you have the skip on your property this will save the neighbour the cost of the permit but could be there for weeks or even months depending on who actually books and pays for the skip and of course trusting that the skip is not overloaded and level filled only with no hidden nasties like asbestos. Personally I wouldn't do it.